


Wolf Revelations

by JuneLuxray



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Massive spoilers ahead, Read at Your Own Risk, Reveal Fic, Trespasser DLC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-20 06:37:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4777250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuneLuxray/pseuds/JuneLuxray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor's companions finally find out that Solas is more than just an agent of the Dread Wolf. Their shock and reactions are detailed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inquisitor stumbles out of her confrontation with Solas, arm fading, and ready to tell her immediate companions of Dorian, Iron Bull, and Sera the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for watching companions shit themselves over shocking stuff like Solas being Fen'Harel. I was a little disappointed when I didn't get to see it, beyond reactions to him being an "agent" and Cassandra directly referring to him as the "Dread Wolf" in the epilogue if the Inquisition is not disbanded. 
> 
> So I made a fic myself. If anyone else has anything similar, let me know, I'd love to read it.

The eluvian's sudden dormancy had rattled the Inquisitor's party of Iron Bull, Dorian, and Sera. She had gone through to find Solas, and when the others tried to follow, they found it to be no more than a glass mirror. Dorian tried every spell he had that wouldn't break the mirror, but no dice; the eluvian refused to open.

Sera whined anxiously. "Dorian, do something! Open it! I don't care what you have to do!"

Bull grimaced. "Kadan..."

"Amatus, I'm trying!" Dorian strained as he pushed his magic on the eluvian, breathing sharply as his magic waned and he pulled back, trying to regain his mana. Sera nervously paced, red-faced and beginning to tear up.

"You can't stop! You can't! What if Solas hurts her?"

Bull pulled out a lyrium potion from Dorian's pouch and popped it in his lover's mouth, who was too tired to protest. Three pairs of desperate eyes stared at the mirror, even Dorian as he ingested the potion to regain his magic. "Kadan, there's gotta be something you can do." Bull pressed. 

"I don't know what to do," Dorian moaned, frowning, helplessly staring at the eluvian, "I'm afraid to do anything else to it or break it; then we'd never see her again. This has to be Solas's doing; whatever they're doing, he didn't want us to interfere."

Sera growled. "Fucking piss-faced rotten-egg-headed elfy bag of dickbutts!"

Bull snorted. "What she said."

"I'll shoot ten arrows up his arse if he doesn't open this stupid elfy mirror right now!" The eluvian opened with the sound of twinkling, and Sera grinned. "That's right, you bloody agent of Fenny! Let's go--"

The Inquisitor stumbled out of the Eluvian, clutching the top half of her left arm. She had been pulling at it, ripping a small hole into the fabric, exposing skin. Her left gauntlet had been clawed off, and a pitch black mark marred the skin where the mark was most present. The lower half was completely limp, pale, pitch black with green tendrils around the now-useless palm. She breathed heavily, looking down at it, stumbling. The three rushed to her aid as she fell to her knees. Dorian moved quickly, inspecting the arm, or at least he tried-- she yelped and pushed him away on impulse as she hyperventilated, guarding her arm. Slowly, she extended it, shaking and quivering and shuddering.

"Shiiit," Sera whistled, "your arm's dead. Feels like it."

"The arm's going to have to go." Dorian murmured. He pointed to the hand for emphasis, gesturing to the palm. "Perhaps the mark did more damage to it than we thought; it seems it was the only thing keeping it intact. I don't think there's anything we can do for it."

"It hurts-- it _hurts_ , it hurts-- I want it gone **_now!_** " the Inquisitor screamed. Bull grimaced.

"I could lop it off right now, if you want. Dorian can cauterize it with his magic. It's going to hurt like a bitch to the part of your arm you can feel, though." Dawn nodded her head quickly in assent, shuddering and gasping still.

Her companions shared a look, all frowning. Sera pulled the armor off of the Inquisitor's bad arm, tossing aside her pauldron, ripping off the fabric and leather with a knife. Bull quietly found a flat piece of metal from armor off of a qunari they fought, instructing the Inquisitor to put her arm down on it. She obeyed quietly, and Dorian stayed to the side of her, top of his staff burning red hot with fire magic. Sera knelt down and grasped her friend's good hand tightly. 

"You can squeeze as hard as you want." she mumbled. "Won't hurt me compared to what's about to happen."

Dawn was still shaking, shuddering against Sera as she struggled to control herself. Sera didn't budge, letting her shudder and whimper. Nevertheless, the Herald managed to choke out a single word to her. "Thanks..." 

Sera chuckled weakly. "Anytime, yeah? You're a Friend of Red Jenny now." she said, smile betraying her eyes full of worry. 

"Hold still, Boss. Don't move an inch." Bull pulled back his weapon over his head and struck it down hard and fast. The strike hit live nerves in the good part of her arm, and Dawn let out a bloodcurdling howl of sheer agony. The scream was long, desperate, and harsh, and the others with her winced at the sound, squeezing Sera's hand in a vice grip. The Inquisitor choked out fast, hard breaths at the end of her scream. Sera winced but did not budge, and she didn't breathe for a moment as the lower half of the arm fell off, blood freely falling from the wound. Bull sadly watched her try not to squirm in pain. "I'm sorry. Breathe."

Dorian's grimace was marred with guilt as he readied the staff. "I'm so sorry for this, my friend." He pushed the red hot staff top onto her arm, and the second scream rattled the birds in the trees nearby, fleeing from the shriek. Dawn bit her lip hard enough to draw blood upon ceasing her scream, shuddering and shaking. Dorian pulled back quickly, inspecting his work. The wound was cauterized, bleeding stopped, and the Inquisitor gave heavy breaths of agony as she tried to compose herself. The herald stared down at the remaining half of an arm she had, hunching over it. Sera pulled her in for a hug, patting her back as Trevelyan fought back tears; she lost the fight, and tears freely fell down her face while she bawled. 

"You can cry all you want," Sera reassured, "I know you don't like to cry or act like you're ever hurt in front of anyone, but we don't care. You're going to live." she whispered gently, the softest she had ever sounded to Dawn. "Good riddance to your mark! Who needs a ruddy old mark that keeps hurting you anyways? At least that agent of Fenny is good for something, after all he did." 

Dawn pulled back, continuing to try to pull herself together in spite of her pain. She miserably looked down at the remains of her arm. "I'm sorry..."

Dorian put a hand on her shoulder. "Maker's Balls, you just endured an impromptu amputation with no pain relief potions." The magister shook his head ruefully. "Don't apologize at all for reacting normally to pain." Dawn didn't look up as he spoke. Finally, she looked back up to her friends, sucking back tears. 

"There's something you have to know about Solas." she gasped, still shaky and on the verge of collapse. "He just revealed everything to me. He... lied."

Bull scoffed. "Well, no shit, Boss, he never told us about this agent crap."

"He's not an agent of Fen'Harel." she breathed, wide-eyed as she looked back up to them. " _He's_ Fen'Harel."

The others went dead silent, staring at her with eyes wider than dinner plates. 

"Holy _shit_." Bull uttered, blinking rapidly. "You're serious? Solas is an ancient elf of Arlathan. A supposed elven _god._ " He ran a hand over his head. "What the _fuck_. How did I never even notice or investigate harder?" He groaned, pacing, "I _was_ Ben-Hassrath. I should have been able to piece it together from all those notes you found in the Fade on this weird-ass adventure. The notes we found in the eluvians, the paintings, everything..." He turned back to the Inquisitor, eye still wide. "So, Solas-- _Fen'Harel_ fucked us all over sideways. Oh, fuck, Solas..." The Tal-Vashoth breathed in and out heavily, shaking his head. He growled. "I should have figured it out!"

Sera sputtered, hands on the sides of her head, shaking. "He...no, he can't be...oh, _shitballs!_ We were in cahoots with Fenny all along!" She stood up, beginning to walk back and forth, breathing heavily. "He lied to us even more! He...he...he's a _wolf!_ _The_ wolf! _The Dread Wolf!_ " Sera choked, pulling her hair with her hands, eyes popping out. "Maker's tits...too heavy, this is too deep!" She bit her lip, squealing. The rogue looked miserably at the Inquisitor for a moment, before her face hardened, and a deep scowl settled on her face. "All of this was _his bloody fault!_ That...that _fucker!_ I'll fucking _kill him!_ "

Dorian exhaled sharply, trying to compose himself. "He... _is_. I see...Maker's breath, I shouldn't be so shocked." He held a hand against his cheek, shaking. "We've traveled with an actual person called an elven god, the god of trickery." He went silent for a few seconds before exhaling sharply again. "It makes sense, in a convoluted way. All that knowledge, all that foreshadowing, and we never detected a bit of it. Solas is Fen'Harel. _Fen'Harel_ is _Solas_." He looked to the eluvian and then back to his friend, inspecting her. "Did...did he hurt you? When he took it, I mean."

"No," Dawn replied quietly, weakly, "I..." She stopped herself, looking down. "I have to stop him."

"We will." Dorian reassured. "You spoke with him, yes? What did he have to say?"

She grimaced, her words still labored from pain. "His agents led Corypheus to the orb, because he was too weak after thousands of years of slumber to use it himself... thought it would kill Corypheus. He was going to use it to sunder the Veil."

Bull growled. "If I ever see that little fucker ever again, I'm going to put an end to the Dread Wolf, permanently."

Dawn shook her head. "He's too powerful. His power is back, and he's going to end this world. To destroy the Veil will... bring back all the other 'gods.'"

"He's going to kill everyone that isn't an elf or doesn't join him to restore an old dream." Dorian snapped, scowling. "He's mad!"

Sera growled, face still red, full of rage. "That motherfucking wolf! _Fuck him_ , fuck his elfy dreams! He can't destroy the Veil! Didn't the other pissbags enslave their own people? Why would he do this?"

"He said he'd find a way to deal with them." Dawn briefly glared at the Eluvian. "I'll save him from himself."

"I don't know if you can," Dorian bemoaned, "he may be too far gone. We may just have to find a way to kill him before he does this."

The Inquisitor hung her head down. "He... was my friend. I don't want to have to kill him if I don't have to, but I have to stop him..."

Bull sighed. "Let's go back and see the alchemists and Vivienne about pain-relief. You have to still be in a lot of pain."

"Don't worry about me." she reassured, though she was still wincing in pain obviously as she tried to pull herself in vain from the ground. Bull rolled his eye and grabbed her, carefully cradling her in his arms. She found herself too tired to object.

"You said not to worry about five times when your mark was flaring up," Dorian pointed out, "you never admit when you're in pain or sick. We...Sera, what are you looking at?"

They followed her gaze as she pulled an arrow from her quiver, readying it, staring at an enormous black wolf in the distance, watching them silently. A profound silence fell over them once again, frozen by its gaze. Sera and Dorian stepped defensively in front of their friend in Bull's arms, who was clutching her arm in pain, staring back at the wolf with an inscrutable expression.

"No one move." Dorian hissed in a whisper.

"Solas, if that's you," Iron Bull yelled, "get over here, right now, you wolf asshole! Look what you did to her! To everyone, you fuck!" 

"Shh!" Dorian snapped at his lover. "I don't want us to be turned into statues!"

Sera snapped out of it and scowled. "It's gotta be him." She aimed at him, shooting the arrow. The wolf disappeared in a puff of smoke, dissipating into thin air. She huffed angrily. "I wanted that arrow to go right up his furry arse. Stupid wolf."

"Was that really him?" Dorian asked aloud. "Was he listening? Watching? From that distance? He looked a bit like those statues of wolves in the temple."

Dawn sighed. "Let's go."

"Cassandra's gonna shit her pants." Bull stated as they walked for the other eluvian, going back to the Winter Palace. "Also, pretty much everyone else. This shit's too heavy."


	2. Back to Orlais

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inquisitor returns to the Winter Palace.

The walk back to the Winter Palace had taken what felt like forever. No one was able to get the truth of Solas out of their head, and they continued to talk about it all the way back. The only one silent was the Inquisitor as she cradled what was left of her arm while being cradled in Iron Bull's arms. Dorian carried Dawn's goods in her bag, slung over his shoulder now.

Soon they reached the first eluvian, almost back to the palace. Dawn bleakly looked up at the portal. "Stop," she ordered. The others obeyed; Iron Bull came to a stop, while Dorian and Sera came ahead of Bull, turning to make eye contact with the Inquisitor.

"What's that, now?" Sera asked, still pale in the face from everything that had transpired not long ago. Dawn glanced at the eluvian and then back to them.

"When we go in," she started, "they're going to see me Then they'll carry me off to the medics. So, I need you three to tell the others about Solas for me."

Dorian crossed his arms. "We'll try, but...will they even believe us?" He shrugged. "Imagine it: 'you know Solas, our dear elven apostate? Yes, well, it turns out he's really the Dread Wolf, and he wants to destroy the world to restore the elven one! Surprising, isn't it?'"

"They _have_ to believe us," Sera whined, "why would we make this shite up? We _couldn't_ make this shite up even if we tried." She crossed her arms as well, hands clutching their opposite arm tightly.

Bull shrugged. "We have all those notes and entries that she used to figure out who he was before talking to him," he looked down at the Inquisitor, "those should help. You put them in your book-thing, right?"

"Yes, in my codex." she replied. Dorian opened the bag and found the very thick book that the Inquisitor dubbed the codex. He flipped open to the page where all the notes they had found regarding Fen'Harel were, skimmed it, and closed it.

"It's all here." Dorian affirmed. "I always wondered why you carried that doorstop around, but now I think I understand why."

"We'll do it." Bull stated, determined. "Soon everyone will know who Fen'Harel really is."

After another moment's hesitation, they filed into the eluvian, Iron Bull first with the Inquisitor, followed by Dorian and Sera. They found Cullen and Cassandra waiting on the other side with a number of Inquisition soldiers. They gasped at seeing the state the Inquisitor was in.

"Go!" Cassandra snapped at several of the guards, "Tell the healer the Inquisitor is coming! Now!"

They ran off as fast as they could. Cullen took his wife from Iron Bull, who carefully handed her off. He held her tightly, staring down at the arm and then into her eyes. "It came to this, didn't it?" he asked gingerly.

Cassandra cringed. "The mark had to go to save your life. You had to get a field amputation." She shuddered at the sight of the missing arm. "Maker, that must have been _horrible_. I'm so sorry, my friend."

Dawn nodded, weary and tired. "Yes. I'm going to live."

Cullen let out a weak laugh, smiling. "You're alive. Oh, Maker, thank you, _thank you_..."

Cassandra nodded in agreement. "If this means you're going to live, then I wouldn't have it any other way. It was necessary." They looked up to Bull, who grunted.

"Yeah. I cut it off and then Dorian cauterized it after Solas removed the mark. Her arm was dead." he confirmed. Cassandra and Cullen shared a look and then looked back to them.

"Solas did what?" Cassandra asked, baffled, "Solas has been missing for two years! He... _removed_ it?"

Dorian groaned. "It's a very long story, and we're not sure that anyone's going to believe us. We'll explain everything for her while she's..." He was cut off by the sound of running footsteps. Several mages, including Vivienne, rushed into the room. Vivienne's eyes widened ever-so-slightly, gasping in dismay at the sight of the Inquisitor. She looked back to Cullen.

"Carry your wife and come along," she snapped brusquely, "she needs prompt medical attention."

"Yes, of course." Cullen followed along at a brisk pace behind the others, while Dawn gave a look back to her companions past her husband's arm, mouthing a 'tell her everything' to them. Cassandra caught it and looked up to them, head cocked to the side, baffled.

"Start from the beginning," she ordered, "I need to hear the whole story."

After sharing yet another apprehensive look, the three got to work on telling her the entire truth of what had transpired beyond the eluvians. Cassandra's eyes slowly got wider and wider, until finally Dorian said the most important sentence of the story.

"And so..." He looked Cassandra, unblinking, in the eyes. "Solas is Fen'Harel."

"You know what he's planning, now, too." Bull added. He pulled the codex out from the Inquisitor's belongings and opened it up to the page with the important entries, handing it to her. The seeker meekly took it and read over the passages in silence for several moments, while Dawn's party waited for her to react.

Cassandra leaned against the wall and slid down it, sitting down on the ground, unblinking, white in the face.

"I think I understand how you feel." Sera said. Cassandra exhaled.

" _Maker_..." she whispered, "Solas... _he_ is the Dread Wolf." She shook her head. "I believe you all. I can't..." She closed the book and handed it back to Dorian, pulling herself off of the ground. "He's responsible for the orb, Corypheus, _everything_...he was with us all along and I didn't suspect a thing." Cassandra hugged herself, still leaning against the wall. "I should have suspected something. Fen'Harel was right under our noses the whole time and I didn't see..."

"This isn't your fault," Bull reassured, "I used to be Ben-Hassrath, and I didn't know until now. He had us all fooled."

Dorian scoffed. "Rather appropriate, considering the Dalish think him to be a trickster god."

The seeker shook her head. "If I had found out, maybe we could have stopped him before he went, ended this plot to end our world right away." Her expression hardened, and she scowled. "Now we must track him down and stop him at all costs, regardless of whether or not the Inquisition disbands. This is our new mission. Solas must die."

Sera shrugged. "Just so you know, Dawnly wants to try to see if she can change his mind at all. I mean, she's really, _really_ pissed at him, but she wants to see if she can 'save him from himself' or something."

"She did pretty much say she'd kill him if it came to it, though." Bull added. Cassandra scoffed.

"Of course she'd say that. It sounds just like her to try to redeem him." The seeker let out a sigh of defeat. "We will try, but I doubt it will work." She huffed. "Either way, are you all with me? With us? When the Inquisitor has recovered enough, we will need to start cementing a plan to track him."

"You got me. We'll go on a wolf hunt." Sera agreed. Dorian nodded firmly.

"I'll do what I can, using my new power as a magister in Tevinter, to devote what I can to the cause. Dawn has a sending crystal with me, so she can update me on the mission status."

Bull grunted. "The Chargers will help however we can. No way am I letting that wolf destroy the world."

Dorian held the codex up. "Cassandra, Dawn asked us to inform the others while she was preoccupied. Care to help us spread the word?"

The seeker stood up straight, taking the codex from him, flipping open to the relevant page. "Yes. Come, we must tell the others. Let's find Josephine and Divine Victoria first."

* * *

The pain-relieving magic and potions only went so far. Dawn whimpered, tears falling down her face as a healer prodded at the wound, finishing up the amputation. Vivienne continued to use her magic to try to relieve the pain while Cullen held her hand, muttering reassurances to her. Dawn's eyes were knit shut against the pain, teeth gritted. The healer dropped a piece of debris from the wound into a bucket by his stool and dabbed a poultice onto a clean cloth. "Poultice to ward against infection," he clarified, "this is going to sting quite a bit." Quickly he pressed the wound with the cloth, and the Inquisitor let out a squeal partially bitten back by her teeth, legs squirming. She felt him wrapping the wound up; even touching the wound brought pain.

"You're being very brave, my dear," Vivienne whispered soothingly, "it's going to be over soon."

Finally, after what felt like hours to the Inquisitor, the healer moved away from the arm that felt like it was on fire. "All done," the mage said, "we'll give you a sleeping draught soon so you can rest peacefully through the night."

"Thank you, Enchanter," Cullen said wearily, "I'll stay with her through the night."

"I will be fine." Dawn argued weakly. Cullen said nothing, merely shaking his head. All save for Vivienne and Cullen left the room, and Vivienne was about to make her departure when Dawn cleared her throat. "There's something I have to tell you about what happened. About Solas."

"Yes," Cullen spoke, eyes widening, as if he had just remembered him, "Bull mentioned him. He removed your mark?"

The Inquisitor hesitated briefly. "Yes," she said, "Solas lied to us."

Vivienne returned to her bedside, looking at her curiously. "I suspected as much, my dear," she said flatly, "our dear elven apostate with so much knowledge and such little history? Do tell us all about what you know now." Dawn took a breath, and with some difficulty and apprehension, she began. The story was told, albeit shakily and dazedly, by a determined woman in agony. She told them of Solas's plans, crimes, and identity. Both listened in rapt attention, and soon, shock.

_Solas is Fen'Harel._

The court enchantress crossed her arms and shook her head with a sigh. "So," she started, "Fen'Harel has been at work the whole time. Solas is an ancient elf of Arlathan...that's where all his knowledge came from." She looked up at the Inquisitor stoically. "It is no small wonder he kept his history from us...he hid it so well from us for so long. These plans of his to undo our world cannot come to be." She uncrossed her arms, scowling. "The Dread Wolf has been playing us the entire time. We'll have to do something to stop that creature, that _wolf_." She spat out the word with more disdain used than when she first met Cole.

Cullen had said nothing the whole time, just squeezing his wife's hand tightly. He let out a loud exhale and scowled. "This whole time...it was his fault. All his fault." The commander again looked to the missing lower half of her left arm; his expression softened. "Did he hurt you when he took it? Did he..."

"No," Dawn reassured, "I'm just very disappointed in him..."

"He's betrayed your trust." Cullen snapped. "I consider that to be hurting. When I find him, I'll..."

"Do _what_ , Commander?" Vivienne interrupted. "Fen'Harel is too powerful to approach head-on. He's far more powerful now that he has regained all his strength. We must find a way around this to end him once and for all." She scoffed. "He is a madman and a fool if he thinks there could be any way to stop the other elven 'gods' if he was to release them by sundering the Veil, which is madness by itself." She paused again, thinking. "Solas doesn't think things through, evidently; he underestimated Corypheus, and he could underestimate the others." The enchantress tapped her chin. "Perhaps we can use this foolish tendency to our advantage..."

The Inquisitor groaned. "I want to... to see if I can save him from himself."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "Take no offense, my dear, but are you _quite_ sure you didn't hit your head? Solas is too dangerous; do not waste your time on such an endeavor to change his mind."

"I will kill him if I must, but..." She silenced when the door opened again. The enchanter had come back, now brandishing a potion bottle with clear liquid contents. He paused.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes." Cullen snapped. Dawn squeezed his hand, and he looked back to her, expression again softening.

"I think it's time to rest."

Vivienne stood aside and let the doctor go by. As he opened the vial and had her sit up to swallow it, she spoke once more. "My dear, you rest and recover. I will have a word with the others. Everything is handled for now, so go to sleep," the potion began to work quickly, and the Inquisitor's eyes were closing, Vivienne's voice growing faint, "you've earned it."

"Out like a light." the healer confirmed as she slipped into the Fade, relaxing for the first time in days. He stood up. "I'll be back in the morning to check on her again. Commander, if you intend to stay here with her, I'll have a comfortable chair and pillow sent along for you. Good evening."

Cullen loosened his grip on her hand as the healer left, trying not to disturb her slumber. "I'll be here. Good night, Vivienne."

"Good night, you two." Vivienne looked back down at the Inquisitor, who was beginning to snore. She smiled at the sound. "Dawn, darling...you married a good man." The mage turned on her heel and left.

She had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering what codex entries and notes I'm referring to, look at this video by FluffyNinjaLlama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScghVJ0r3dE


	3. The War Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josephine and Leliana are told the truth.

Cassandra and Sera took it upon themselves to inform the other two advisors, while Dorian and Bull made their way to Varric, Thom, and Cole. The seeker summoned Josephine and Divine Victoria into the room they had been using as an impromptu war room, and she awaited their presence along with the Red Jenny.

The seeker had laid the codex out over the table, staring at the page with the notes found in the Fade again, leaning over it, palms on the table. Her heart still thudded repeatedly, strongly, with the knowledge this was all real. Sera stood to the side of her, wringing her fingers impatiently. 

"This is so wrong. Solas...I didn't like him, but he wasn't a monster. Not until now." Sera moaned. "I saw him, clear as day, watching us. I know it was him. He's _definitely_ Fenny. I _know_ it."

The seeker coughed. "Still reeling, I see."

"Bloody right I am. This is too far. You're freaking, too." she pointed out, crossing her arms. Cassandra nodded.

"I am," she agreed, "I'm just trying to figure out how we're going to tell them. This is..." She sighed. "...this is much to take in."

"What is much to take in?" Their heads shot up to see the Divine and Josephine coming in. Leliana walked in first, having been the one to question them. She put her hands behind her back, eyes sparking with curiosity. "If Cassandra's alarmed, I am very curious as to what has everyone that came back so rattled."

Josephine and Leliana's eyes ran to the open codex. Cassandra turned it and pushed it across the table. "It's about Solas. Perhaps you should read these, first." She stood back up straight as the ambassador and former spymaster hovered over the paper. Slowly their eyes widened. Leliana mumbled something to herself while Josephine raised a hand to cover her mouth with, steadying herself with her other hand on the table.

_...struck the tower, a great sizzling bolt out of a blue sky. Afterward, spirits emerged from a statue of a wolf, as if the lightning woke them, and they appeared to be looking for someone. The only word I understood was "Fen'Harel." They did not see me, but beware, for they attack any guards who..._

_These walls of blue flame were cast by the agent of Fen'Harel as he ran through this place bringing chaos and destruction. Do not light fires from them. Do not go near them. Fen'Harel's mage-servant made them to hamper us, and they bring only death._

_Beware the forms of Fen'Harel! The Dread Wolf comes in many humble guises. A wanderer who knows much of the people and their spirits. He will offer advice that seems fair, but slowly turns to poison. Remember the price of treason, and keep in your heart the mercy of the gods._

_A sketch carefully done, albeit a little shakily, by the Inquisitor. Excavated mural. Believed to be a self-portrait by Fen'Harel._

Leliana exhaled and pulled away from the book, locking Cassandra in eye-contact. "Is this implying what I think it's implying?" the Divine demanded. Josephine had been struck dumb, and she backed away, both hands covering her mouth. Cassandra nodded.

"It is. Exactly what it implies. The Inquisitor and her party had much to tell us upon returning. Sera came with me to help tell that story, since she was present." She looked to Sera. "Tell them what you all told me."

Sera groaned. "You know now. You could do it."

Cassandra shook her head. "I will help you, but you were there. You learned he was an agent of Fen'Harel, and then that he is no one's agent but himself." She looked at the other two women again and exhaled sharply. "Solas is Fen'Harel."

Leliana looked down, shaking her head. Josephine backed up, found a chair, and sat down, trying to compose herself. The ambassador's eyes were wider than they had been earlier when the Inquisitor's mark flared in the war room, and she was left gasping. Sera crossed her arms, and after a moment's hesitation, she recited the story again. 

The Divine's expression went largely unchanged, looking merely disappointed. Josephine, however, was gasping, completely stunned. She stuttered, for once at a loss, and stared, unblinking, at Sera and Cassandra. " _I trusted him!_ " she cried, completely horrified. "I respected Solas! I loved to speak with him and hear his stories and consulted with him! How could he do this? All along, he had _betrayed_ us!" 

Josephine covered her face with her hands, shaking. She stood up and looked over the codex entries again. The ambassador breathed in and out hard and fast, face reddening. Leliana put a hand on her shoulder, looking sad but not shocked. Josephine looked up to the Divine and pulled herself together. 

"How _could_ he?" she whispered. Leliana sighed.

"This is...not good. Fen'Harel knows how we operate, all our secrets, all our methods..." The Divine shook her head. "We will need to tighten security, in the Chantry and the Inquisition should the Inquisitor decide to keep it. Our new mission is to track down Solas and put an end to his plot. We cannot fail."

"We will all perish otherwise." Cassandra said lowly, firmly. "Can we count on Chantry support for this cause?"

"Yes, of course." Leliana agreed. "We will find a way to stop him, no matter what, and at all costs."

Sera rolled her eyes. "I love Dawnly, I really do, but she's daft if she thinks she can find a way to redeem him or show him he's wrong. Fenny won't listen."

Divine Victoria scoffed. "Of course she wants to try. That's just like her. I wouldn't put it past her yet, though, to succeed in showing Solas he's wrong." Wryly, she chuckled. "She actually managed to soften me, to get me to not kill Natalie in Valence, to not kill my agent Butler, convinced me that my agents are not expendable...among other things she's done for the others." She crossed her arms. "In any case, I would not worry. If it comes down to it, she will find a way to kill him."

Sera looked towards Josephine, who had gone silent again. "You okay there, Josie?" she asked hesitantly. Josephine snapped out of her reverie and nodded.

"Yes, pardon me, I just... _ahem_ ," she cleared her throat, "I'm just a little stunned by all of this. And hurt. And shocked. And scared. Did I mention that this is shocking? Once the word spreads, all of Thedas will be terrified. Solas presents great danger to us all." She sighed. "But enough about that. Do you know how the Inquisitor is doing after the amputation? She must have been in great pain."

The door opened behind them, and Vivienne walked in, carrying herself with the usual air of superiority. She took one look at everyone's faces and spoke. "I see they've all been informed."

"Yes, Madame Vivienne," Josephine affirmed shakily, "you were with the Inquisitor, were you not? How is she now?"

"Fine, for the moment. She's been given a sleeping draught to rest and start recovery. Before that, she was in great pain." Vivienne frowned. "The healer worked on the wound. The Inquisitor was very strong; I'm amazed the most she did was cry. Her husband is staying with her, keeping watch; he was a great comfort to her during it." The enchanter very briefly smiled. "Perhaps we should treat her tomorrow for everything she had to go through today."

"She cried, too," Sera stated plaintively, "after Dorian closed the wound. It was the first time I had _ever_ seen her cry in front of me. She _never_ cries in front of anyone." She huffed. "Poor girl...nothing can beat how much agony she was in then. Let's get her some pancakes or something with chocolate and strawberries. That'll cheer her right up."

Josephine smiled weakly. "Excellent idea. I will inform the kitchen staff for her breakfast tomorrow. She'll be thrilled... well, as thrilled as she can be in her condition, to see it."

Cassandra was about to pull the codex back when Vivienne approached, putting a hand on it. "Please, allow me to steal a look before you take it." she bidded. The seeker nodded.

"Read it for yourself." Cassandra offered, holding a hand out gesturing to the book. Madame de Fer read the incriminating passages in silence, leaning over the book. Finally, she shook her head and stood up straight. 

"There can be no doubt, now," Vivienne announced, "the Inquisitor spoke the truth: Solas has tricked us all. The court must know of this...they can be used to turn against him." She turned to Josephine. "Didn't you once say the court's disapproval could be as much a danger to the Inquisition as the Venatori? Let us hope this holds true for Solas."

"Yes, of course." Josephine replied sheepishly, slowly writing notes down on her clipboard. Vivienne sighed.

"Still shocked, I see. I suppose none of us could have truly guessed who Solas is, in hindsight, even with all the signs and hints we ignored. Even Dawn didn't unravel the truth until she found these pieces of evidence." She picked up the book and handed it to Cassandra. "Can we have copies made of these notes? We cannot lose this evidence; it is tangible, and damning." 

Leliana nodded. "I will have an agent..." 

"...don't have one of your agents do this, _Your Holiness,_ " Vivienne snapped bitingly, "these notes should not fall into an agent who could be in Solas's pocket." she argued. Leliana glared at her.

"I do have agents I trust with this, _Madame de Fer_. I..."

"Stop this right now," Cassandra interrupted, scowling, "we cannot be divided at a time like this! Fen'Harel is the greater threat, whatever our differences." She shut the book. "Now, let us find Cole, Blackwall, and Varric. Let us be certain they believe the truth about Solas."

Sera growled. "I bet Creepy knew all along and didn't say anything."

"He may not have realized it was relevant. Cole has trouble with this, even as a human now." Cassandra pointed out. "In any case, let us go. We still have work to do."


	4. Tavern Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole, Varric, and Blackwall are told the truth.

"Amatus?"

"Yeah, Kadan?"

"Do you think they'll believe us?"

"No clue."

Dorian's heart palpitated with apprehension as they approached Blackwall, Cole, and Varric in the tavern, who were all sitting at a table in the center. The tavern had an air of anxiety, as every last patron murmured about the Inquisitor. Maryden's music helped, but only to a point. Cole was stealing glances now and then at Maryden, who winked at him playfully. Blackwall and Varric were talking about the Inquisitor, full of worry and woe. All three looked up at Dorian and Bull as they approached, both looking grim, Dorian playing with his hands.

Varric frowned. "Is everything alright?"

Blackwall sat up straight, wide-eyed. "How's the Inquisitor? Will she-"

"She'll live," Bull reassured, "the mark and the lower half of her arm is gone, but she'll live."

Cole frowned. " _The axe comes down, and the pain, shooting, ringing, goes up. Maker, help me, it hurts, it hurts. Breathing hard, don't cry in front of them, don't be a burden, what will they think of me now that the mark is gone?_ "

Dorian shook his head. "Poor woman. I don't care that the mark is gone, so long as my friend survives."

"We'll talk to her later; she'll know we aren't worried about her losing the mark if it means she lives. We're still her friends." Varric reassured. "So, what happened in there? I'm dying to know."

Bull and Dorian shared a look and sat down next to the other men. Dorian breathed sharply and stared at Varric. "I'm not sure you'll even believe us, but you have to know."

Varric scoffed. "Try me. I've seen too much shit to call anything impossible."

Cole frowned. "What they're going to tell you about Solas is true."

"Solas? Maker's balls, what's happened?" Blackwall demanded. "He's been gone two years!"

Bull raised an eyebrow at Cole. "Kid, how long have you known about who or what Solas is?"

"Always," Cole answered, confused, "was I supposed to say something? He's not the kind of wolf that wants to hurt people."

"Wait. Wolf?" the dwarf asked, befuddled. Varric and Blackwall gave them baffled looks. Varric shared eye-contact, frowning. "What's going on, Sparkler? Tiny?"

Bull and Dorian shared one last moment of hesitation before diving in together into divulging the truth. They took turns telling parts of the story to the amputation. Blackwall steadily got more and more alarmed, sitting up straight, unblinking, while Varric just looked down at the table, shaking his head in disappointment. When they were done, no one said a word for several minutes. Bull looked around, wondering if anyone had overheard them. Dorian weakly laughed.

"Varric, the most eloquent dwarf I know, speechless. I never thought I'd see the day."

Varric coughed. "You and me both, Sparkler. You and me both..." He looked up tiredly. "Andraste's ass, Chuckles...it figures the quiet one ended up being the genocidal maniac." With a groan and deepened frown, he continued. "Always the quiet ones. Well...shit."

"You actually nicknamed Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf himself, 'Chuckles'," Iron Bull snorted, "still gonna call him that?"

Varric scoffed. "What else would I call him? I just wish Chuckles would have remembered the story of that fisherman beating the world; he's more sensible than this." He shook his head, sighing deeply, running a hand over his head ruefully. "Damn it, Solas...Fen'Harel...Chuckles, whoever he is."

Bull nudged Blackwall, who had gone into a silent reverie. The shove made the man jump and blink rapidly in surprise. "You alright there, Rainier? I get that this whole Solas is Fen'Harel business is weird. Really weird."

Thom shook his head, scowling. "No, I'm not alright. This...I can scarcely believe it. That little bastard has some nerve to show his face to the Inquisitor after all he did. Solas... _Fen'Harel_ is a _monster._ " He shuddered. "It reminds me of when I lied to all of you about who I really was; I see I wasn't the only one who lied about my identity."

"He didn't lie to you," Cole argued, "Solas came first, his real name. Fen'Harel came later, an insult turned into pride." He frowned. "He's not a monster or a genocidal maniac. He doesn't want to hurt people, but he thinks he has to to help. He isn't that kind of wolf."

Dorian shook his head. "I'm afraid he is that kind of wolf. The dreadful kind."

"Dawn knows that deep down, he isn't that kind of wolf. She wants to show him." Cole murmured. " _Heart dropping, tears trying to go free, Solas doesn't understand, I have to make him understand. Green sparks fading, hand blackened and limp, he's not evil, he just saved my life...but he's not my friend anymore. Maybe one day he will be again._ "

"She wants to try to redeem him. Give him another chance." Blackwall weakly laughed to himself, a tiny smile on his lips. "That's just like her. She gave me a chance when I didn't deserve one, too, to redeem myself." He inhaled and exhaled sharply, nodding firmly. "If she's going to try to show him he's wrong before resorting to killing him, I'll be there to help her, and all of you, hunt down the Dread Wolf." Thom looked back at Cole. "Maybe she's right. Maybe it's not too late for him."

Varric sighed again, deeply. "I can't just walk away from this; none of us can. I'll try to do what I can to help as Viscount now. We're all going our separate ways, but we'll keep in touch. No doubt the Inquisitor will have everyone come to visit now and then, even if she disbands the Inquisition."

Dorian put a hand under a necklace with two crystals attached to it around his neck. "These are sending crystals. I gave one to Dawn and one to Bull. We'll be able to update each other readily. The minute Solas is discovered, we'll be on his tail. Literally, now, I suppose."

"Solas doesn't have a tail most of the time; only when he's a wolf." Cole pointed out, confused. Bull grunted.

"Was it the Dread Wolf we saw watching us?" Bull shuddered. "Creepy."

"Yes." Cole answered. "He was watching her, but...I can't tell why. It's gotten harder since I became human."

Dorian winced. "It's unsettling to know that Fen'Harel was watching us, and that Sera actually tried to shoot him. He could have killed her."

"Like pish he could!"

Everyone looked up to see Sera approaching the table with Cassandra, who was carrying the codex. Cassandra opened the book and slid it to Blackwall and Varric. They hovered over the book on the table, Varric's eyes moving the fastest over the words. Sera crossed her arms and huffed indignantly. "That arrow would have gone right up his face if he hadn't moved! It hurts anyone to get an arrow to the face, even a bloody god! 'Cept he's not a god; all of them were fakers!"

"Don't do that again," Cassandra warned, "if you'll recall, he froze all the qunari without so much as a second glance. He could do that to any of us. I don't know what's changed him, but he's much more powerful than when we met him; he is too dangerous for any of us to face right now."

Varric and Blackwall had finished reading the entries. The dwarf closed it and handed it back to Cassandra, looking tired of everything. "Seeker, don't stab this book. We're gonna need it."

"It's really true," Thom bemoaned, "all true...we had the Great Betrayer among us."

"No shit." Sera snapped. "I'm tired of all of this. Fenny fucked everything up."

Cassandra shook her head shamefully. "I still am ashamed I did not see through him...all of us have been tricked." She sat down. "At least, Dawn will survive. She has been through much, and I'll be there for her, as will you all, I suspect. We need her to help us find Solas; she lead us through one catastrophe, and she'll help us through another."

Bull shrugged. "We'll deal with that tomorrow, when the Inquisitor wakes up. For now..." He looked up at the door to see Krem coming in. He breathed heavily, nervously. "I've got to go tell the Chargers. They need to know."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Dorian inquired hesitantly. "I don't know how much help I'll be, but if you want backup..."

Bull smiled for the first time in hours. "I'd like that, Kadan. Thanks."

Dorian smiled genuinely back. "Anytime, Amatus."

They got up and headed to Krem, bidding him to gather the other Chargers. Sera stood up, eyes alight. "I'm gonna go talk to Widdle. I've got an idea that I can help her with that'll cheer Dawnly up. Gonna give her something better than that mark!" She scurried out, heading for the forge. Varric already had parchment down on the table, getting ready to dictate a letter.

"I've got to send word to Hawke. She met Solas when we went to Adamant; she's got to hear this. Soon, she'll be back from Weisshaupt with Fenris to help me run Kirkwall. We'll do what we can to help."

"How do you know she'll be back soon?" Cassandra asked, raising an eyebrow. Varric gave her a smug look.

"So you don't secretly read my letters." He grinned. "I got a letter from her yesterday. She's coming back to Kirkwall to settle with Fenris and her new job in the keep. She needs a place to settle, and she's moving back into the old Amell mansion."

"Why now?"

The dwarf sighed. "She's pregnant, Seeker," Varric said bluntly, "she just told me in the letter."

Cassandra gasped, eyes widening. "Hawke is _pregnant?_ " 

Varric coughed. "I bet you're more shocked to hear about this than Solas being Fen'Harel. She can't raise kids or do what she's been doing at Weisshaupt; the Grey Warden fortress is no place to raise kids." He smiled. "As I understand it, Fenris has been fussing over her like a mother hen since they found out. Neither of us can exactly go out and fight much anymore, but we'll do what we can to help in your wolf hunt."

~*~*~*~

Sera had told Dagna the whole story. Not unlike the others, Dagna was left awe-struck, and Sera uncomfortable from talking about Solas yet again. Finally, Sera got to bring up the issue of Dawn's long-gone arm. "So, she wants to go still do Red Jenny stuff with me now that she is one, and I want to cheer her up. You're right smart, so I wanted to know if anything could be made for her to replace her arm."

Dagna paused, thinking. "I think I've got an idea..."

"Whatcha got, Widdle?" Sera pushed; she knew the look Dagna got in her eyes when a good idea struck her, twinkling with inspiration. Dagna grinned. 

"Come on and help me here. You'll see. I've still got her measurements from the last time armor was made for her..."


	5. The End, For Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inquisitor rallies everyone together against Fen'Harel, after waking.

She hadn't the foggiest what time it was.

The Inquisitor slowly blinked her eyes open, trying to gain a sense of the world that seemed lost to her slumber. Her dreams were either nonexistent or completely forgotten, in turn receiving the first good night's rest she'd had in ages. A hand was around her last good hand, and she turned her head on the pillow to see Cullen, head to the side, sleeping, finally. She cracked a smile at the sight, feeling comforted by his everlasting presence. Their new mabari had settled between her bed and his chair, slumbering peacefully.

Her mouth was dry, throat parched. She spied a glass of water on the nightstand next to the bed. She tilted her other half of her body, intending to grasp it with her free hand. After a split second's confusion, she froze at the reminder that her other was gone. She relaxed back in the bed, sighing and frowning at the half of an arm she had left. It still felt as if it were there, and she wanted to scream at herself, at the world, for its loss.

She silently turned her view back to the glass longingly. The mage bit her lip, trying to decide how to go about getting it without waking Cullen, how to remove her hand without disturbing him. _"Magic?"_ she asked herself. Her mana reserves were low, not an uncommon side effect of being traumatically injured or ill; mages often had trouble summoning their magic at these times, and she was no different.

It was worth a try. Straining ever so slightly, she focused intensely on the glass. The glass wobbled on the tabletop, and she fretted that it might tip over. Steadily and carefully, watching the glass and her husband, she made it move slowly, gently upward, lest she wake him. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she pushed, fine-tuning her levitation spell.

A bark jolted her, and her concentration failed. The glass fell back onto the table, some water splashing out of the sides of it, but otherwise intact as it landed right side up. She glared at the mabari, who was sitting up, staring intensely at her. Cullen was beginning to stir, alarmed by the loudness of the bark. "What..."

The mabari let out a complaining whine at her, pouting. Cullen, now fully awake, smiled at his wife. "You're awake!" he greeted cheerfully. Dawn sighed and rolled her head to the side.

"Yes, and you are, too. I was hoping you could sleep in a little."

"Don't be ridiculous," Cullen argued, "I'm here to watch out for you; I told Angus to wake me up when you woke up. He sounded rather concerned about you right now."

"It's no big deal, really," his wife replied, grasping the glass with her now-free hand, "I didn't want to wake you up, and I liked that you were holding my hand, so I tried to use my magic to pick up that glass of water. Angus, apparently, disapproves."

Angus barked in agreement, huffing. Cullen laughed. "Apparently so. I don't think you should be pushing yourself, even using magic, before the healer says it's safe. You need to rest."

"As you say." She rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. He examined the bad arm.

"How are you feeling today? Still hurting? Need me to get a healer, food, water... dear?"

Her eyes had lingered back to her other arm. "It feels like it's still there. It feels shorter, and..." She groaned. "I can't lie to you. It's not there, but it hurts."

"Phantom limb," Cullen clarified, "it's common in amputees...I'm sorry to hear you're feeling its effects." He sighed. "Do you want me to fetch the healer?"

She scoffed. "What could he do for pain that doesn't really exist?"

"It does exist, if you feel it. Besides, you went through trauma yesterday; I'd be shocked if you weren't in pain." He looked to his mabari, who sat at attention. "Keep an eye on her while I fetch the healer. I'm leaving her in your capable paws."

Angus barked proudly, and Dawn laughed at the display. Cullen grinned at her laughter. "Cullen, please," she reassured, "I'm not going to die. Besides, you are leaving me in perhaps the most competent paws in Orlais."

The dog barked proudly again, puffing his chest out in pride. Her husband laughed, kissed her gently, and then left for the healer. He returned ten minutes later, healer trailing behind him, who was carrying clean wraps and another poultice. "I need to replace your dressing," he clarified, pulling a stool that had been placed in the corner up to her bedside, "hold out your arm. Shouldn't take me too long, but the poultice will sting."

She silently obeyed, holding out the wound. Cullen stood by her other side, holding her hand again, as he did the night before. The healer carefully, slowly peeled the old cloth back, dabbed a clean cloth with poultice, and began to dab the wound with it. Dawn hissed in response; the wound did not hurt nearly as much as it did the night prior. The antiseptic pressed to her mostly open wound still stung greatly. She watched, not moving, as the healer began to wrap the wound with the new, clean cloth.

Finally, he stood up, pleased with his work. "You'll recover just fine, Inquisitor," he reassured, "much as I wish you had waited until you got back to the palace for the amputation, your men did decently." He frowned. "Your husband told me you tried to use your magic. I do not recommend using it right away; you need to not expend more energy than you must for now." He pulled an elixir from a knapsack slung over his shoulder. "Now, there's a pain-relief potion you can take, but you should eat first."

Her stomach growled at the mention of eating, and Dawn was suddenly acutely aware of the fact she hadn't eaten in hours. The healer smiled. "Looks like it's time for you to get something in your stomach, anyways. I've been informed there was a breakfast being held for certain members of the Inquisition off the main hall."

"I know where that is," Cullen said, "Josephine stopped by last night while you were asleep. She mentioned there would be a breakfast. You don't have to attend if you're not feeling up for it; I could go and get us food instead."

"In either case, I'll leave the potion here for you. Take it after you eat. Inquisitor, Commander." The mage bowed curtly and left. Dawn sat up, breathing become less pained.

Cullen pocketed the potion and turned to his wife, who was pulling herself off of the bed. He frowned. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

"Yes. I'm hungry, and the air will be good for me." she replied stubbornly, heading for her drawers, searching for an appropriate outfit. She pulled out her usual outerwear Venture Forth, squinting at it. "You think I can get away with this outfit? It's not exactly formalwear, but I will be damned if I have to wear another formal outfit for an entire day here."

Cullen shrugged and pulled red formalwear out of the drawers beneath her. "You're asking the wrong person, I'm afraid. Damned if I know."

Dawn let out an exasperated sigh. "Better safe than sorry. The Coastal Fortress it is." she declared as she put the other outfit back and retrieved the formalwear. "I miss Skyhold. I can run around in the outerwear all I want."

Her husband quickly checked to see that the door was locked, and began to change into his outfit. He finished in a few moments and turned to see his wife still taking her time pulling the suit on only halfway done, slowed greatly by the loss of a hand. Her trousers were loose around her hips, with a belt partially pulled around. The top was unbuttoned as she struggled, her boots untied and waiting for fingers to knot them. Cullen moved in and finished up, pulling and buckling the belt, tying her shoes, buttoning the chest. Dawn had gone silent, shamefully looking away as her husband did everything for her.

Noticing the too-long sleeve on the left arm, he pulled a pin from the drawer and began to pin it to the rest of the sleeve. "It's not a permanent fix," he mumbled, "but it should do until a tailor can fix the sleeves..." The commander frowned, concerned as he took in a face full of shame. "Dawn, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Cullen, am I going to be a burden to you? Even with magic, I'm disabled, now. My magic will help when I can use it again safely, but I..." She sighed. "I should be able to dress myself, for Andraste's sake..."

Cullen pulled her head up, gently pushing her chin up. "Listen to me," he stated firmly, "you will _never_ be a burden to me, not ever; I will _always_ be here to help you. You helped me through my addiction to lyrium; let me help you, now." He grasped her hand. "I love you, and I always will. Nothing could ever change that."

A small smile graced her face, and she kissed him. "I love you, too. You big softie."

Her husband laughed. "Yes, well... I feel a little bad for saying this, but I'm glad your mark, your hand, is gone. I don't have to worry about losing you anymore, and you're not going to be in constant pain." He sighed. "Even before the mark began to overreact, you were in pain all the time."

"You helped, a lot," Dawn added, "I could endure it. Now, let's wash up and go fetch breakfast. I'm starving."

A plaintive bark got their attention. They turned around to see Angus sitting up, looking rather annoyed, and he pouted. He let out grumbles and whines that sounded almost as if he was trying to talk. They laughed at the display, which only made the dog angrier, and he stood up, barking indignantly.

"What? What are you saying?" Cullen teased. The mabari huffed, continuing to argue with him in his high-pitched grumbles and whines. "Are you hungry? Is that what you're trying to say?"

An affirmative bark was the reply, and Angus began to wiggle his tail, pleased with being understood. Dawn couldn't help but grin. "You need to use your words like a big boy if you want us to understand you! It's very unbecoming to be a whiner." she said, amused. Angus barked at her, huffing. She laughed again. "Calm down, I'm just teasing! You're still a big, strong boy! Yes, you are!" she cooed, kneeling down.

The mabari took advantage of her and rushed forth, licking her face. She groaned and grinned, giggling as she tried to push him back. "No! I haven't even washed my face yet! Maker damn it, Angus!"

"I think he's trying to help you by doing it for you." Cullen said, chuckling. "You should let him help."

"Oh, shut it. I need to wipe this off and put on my makeup before we go out."

* * *

No sooner than when Dawn and Cullen step foot in the banquet hall were they set upon by the others, all vying to see how their friend and Inquisitor was faring. The inner circle, the advisers, Scout Harding, Maryden, Dagna, and even the Chargers made an appearance, all trying to check on their leader.

Vivienne tried to move in to fuss with the pin on the sleeve Cullen put in, but she was cut off by several hugs given to the Inquisitor. Dorian, Sera, Bull, and even Cole moved in to embrace her in relief. Dawn choked as Bull pulled her in, suddenly understanding what Dorian meant by 'nearly crushing three of his ribs'.

Bull pulled back. "How are you doing now, Boss?"

She smirked. "I'm all right, now."

There was a moment's pause before Bull laughed loudly, patting her on the back. "We're both all right now, Boss," he chortled, pointing to his eyepatch, "we're practically twins now!"

Cole cocked his head to the side. "But you don't look anything like each other... _oh!_ " The boy beamed. "He's missing an eye and you're missing an arm, both on the left side of your bodies! I understand now!"

Vivienne rolled her eyes and finally took the opportunity to fix her friend's sleeve. Varric just laughed. "Good, Kid. You're finally getting the jokes."

The court enchantress pulled away, eyeing the sleeve. "That will do for now. A tailor will fix all your sleeves in time for the council." She looked up to the Inquisitor, smiling. "You seem to be feeling better this morning. I'm thrilled to see it."

A dinner bell rang, and in the back of the room, a table full of breakfast foods, piping hot, with the smell of butter, bacon, coffee, and eggs tempting every nose, stood ready for the hoard. Orlesian servants moved from the table, save for one, who spoke.

"Breakfast for the Inquisition is served!"

Sera had to be stopped from running to the table by Cassandra, who grabbed her by the back of her dress. "Hold on. The Inquisitor had to get a traumatic surgery yesterday. She deserves to get her breakfast first."

"No, that's quite alright," she reassured, "I just want to sit down. You can go first."

"I'll get you breakfast," Cullen said, "just tell me what you want and I'll bring it to you."

His wife peered at the table. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, coffee, orange juice, bacon, sausage, and strawberries were all available. She looked back at him. "I'll take pancakes, strawberries, bacon, and a little of the eggs. Coffee, too, please, but you can get your food first." she said, in spite of knowing fully well that Cullen was going to ignore her and get her food first, walking up to a long banquet table and took a seat. Everyone else headed for food, and a servant attended to their mabari, placing a bowl of food on the floor for the thrilled dog.

Cullen came back with his wife's breakfast and set it down, left, and returned with his own food. The room became loud and chatty as everyone got theirs and settled down at the table, excitedly gossiping. At one end of the table, Bull slipped a piece of his bacon to the mabari, earning an exasperated look from Dorian beside him. "Maker's Breath, don't give the dog scraps." the magister scolded.

"Too late!" Bull chimed cheerfully. "A little scrap of bacon won't hurt him."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Dorian deadpanned as the dog began to go around, getting scraps from the other Chargers. Bull merely laughed as the dog continued his way down the table, poking and prodding everyone. Cassandra and Harding quietly passed the dog small scraps, looking amused. Cullen finally took notice as the mabari began to poke Sera, who frowned at the dog.

"I'm not even done eating yet!" she cried. Dagna merely giggled and slipped a small piece of sausage to the dog, who eagerly consumed it. Sera rolled her eyes while the dog panted happily. The commander scowled.

"No! Stop that. Bad boy!" he reprimanded. Angus whined and then barked at his master. "Absolutely not. You've had more than enough treats for one day." he retorted. Angus huffed and held his head down shamefully, and slowly walked past the others back to his master. He paused to give a look to Vivienne, who scoffed.

"You're not getting anything from me, hound." she snapped. Angus made no noise and looked away, continuing to walk away. He stopped when a tiny piece of pancake was held below the table in front of him. The dog looked up to see Leliana not making eye contact with him, though her hand proffered the treat surreptitiously. He took it just as stealthily as she offered it, chewing quietly. A look of love was given in return, and a hand stroked across the head was the response.

He finally made it back to his masters and laid down behind their chairs, putting his head down, huffing again. One last scrap of egg was held before his face, and he sat up and ate it, pleased. Cullen gave his wife an exasperated look, who pretended as though she hadn't done anything at all. He sighed and did not push it.

Soon, when everyone was done eating and the room settled into a lull of talking and gossip, Dagna and Sera approached Dawn, who looked up from her chatter. Dagna was holding a brightly-wrapped gift box with a green bow on top, and talking died down as she offered it to the Inquisitor. "For me?" Dawn asked, surprised. "My birthday isn't for ten months..."

"Doesn't mean we can't give you a little something-something." Sera replied as her friend took the gift from Dagna. Dawn rattled the box curiously.

"What is it?" she asked, fascinated. Dagna giggled.

"Why do you think it's wrapped? Go ahead, open it." The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow and carefully peeled back the bow and paper, revealing a brown box with a loose top. She pulled the top off and gasped at the contents.

"Oh, sweet Maker," she breathed, eyes widened as she pulled out a small crossbow tied to an cup end to be attached to her arm, "it's a crossbow arm!" She squealed in delight, grinning. " _Awesome!_ Thank you, thank you, thank you! Best gift ever!" The Inquisitor hugged both Dagna and Sera, who were smiling at her joy.

"Anything to see you smile this much, yeah?" Sera said cheerfully. "It was Widdle's idea."

"Sera helped me build it. Only took us a few hours, maybe." Dagna smiled. "What are you waiting for? Try it on!"

Dawn held it up to her left arm, eying the straps attached to it. "Um..."

"You strap it on like this. Let me show up." Dagna helped her strap it on, and everyone admired the brand new crossbow as Dawn proudly displayed it to the table. Bull whistled.

"That's badass. You can do your magic in one hand and shoot people in the other!"

Varric admired the crossbow. "Very nice," he agreed, "Inquisitor, I'll take you to the target practice later and show you how to properly use a crossbow. It'll be fun."

Cullen laughed. "You all know my wife so well."

"Now, we can do all the Jenny shite together! Best friends forever, Inquisitor." Sera exclaimed happily. Dawn laughed.

"Yes, yes we can. This made my day, so...thank you." She stood up. "You've all been here for me through it all, and I have to thank all of you." She sighed. "I have to tell you all something. I have...decided that it is time to disband the Inquisition, before Fen'Harel's or the Qunari's forces can corrupt it too much."

"Are you sure about this, Inquisitor?" Cassandra interrupted, frowning. "We may need their force to stop the Dread Wolf."

Divine Victoria shook her head. "Unfortunately, I think the Inquisitor is right. Solas knows how we operate, our methods, our agents...and we have all we need to stop him right here." she declared. "No matter if the Inquisition is gone. Together, we can still find a way to stop him before he ruins the world. Who among you will stand with us, with the Inquisitor, to stop Solas?"

Shouts and cheers came from everyone. The Inquisitor sighed and raised a hand, silencing everyone. "It won't be easy," she declared, "but we can work together quietly to make sure our world is safe. In spite of our differences, in spite of going in different directions, we can still work together through sending crystal and letters and meetings. I think everyone, all of us, should come together once a year in Skyhold, for a reunion. I will invite you all." She looked across the room. "No matter what, we will stop Solas. He is making a colossal, tragic mistake, and if we can, we will show him he is wrong. I pray he is not too far gone."

"What if we cannot? What if he cannot be reasoned with?" Vivienne asked. Dawn sighed.

"If we cannot, we will ensure the Dread Wolf will not succeed, even if it means his death. You have my word."

"Yeah!" Sera cheered. "Let's shove all the arrows up his wolfy arse! We can do this!"

A round of cheers filled the air as the Inquisitor sat down, already looking tired. Cullen gently touched her good arm, getting her attention. "I will be here every step of the way. I won't let him ruin the world for his world. I have you, and I won't lose you or anyone I care about to him." He took her hand again. "You have _my_ word."


End file.
